As Fats Domino sang it: “Blue Monday – How-ah-ee Blue Monday – Got to work like a slave all day”  I’ll be working Blue Monday, too – If you call it work, that is, playing and singing Da Bluz. Ya, we’ll be out to the Richfield American Legion with the ol’ Blue Monday Blues Jam. When I was down in New Orleans, I heard that Fats Domino would sit on his front porch and greet people coming by, and sometimes offer them his home cooked food [I guess he was quite the cook]. We went over there [in the 9th ward], but Fats wasn’t around; they told us he was off playing somewhere. The next night, tho, we got to eat some of the bar-b-que that Kermit Ruffins, a really good trumpet player in the older style, prepared outside in the parking lot at his regular gig. I can’t remember the name of the joint; it was somewhere in the 9th ward, too – The music was great; the great blind piano player, Henry Butler, walked in, and the place started buzzing: ‘Henry Butler’s here, Henry Butler’s here’ He sat in for the rest of the night, and stole the show with his virtuosic, full two-handed style, and even sang a bit – YOW! Aah, memories –

Monday, June 11: Blue Monday Jammy at the Richfield American Legion, 6501 Portland Av. S.   7 pm  I think I’ll do some of those great Fats tunes!